By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.

Saving even the smallest of lives

This is the aftermath of the home on Main Street in Calamine after a fire broke out Sunday night, June 23.
- photo by Photo by Brian Lund

By Kayla Barnes

Updated:
June 26, 2019, 12:20 p.m.

CALAMINE – No
matter whom they happen to, fires can be devastating. They can happen without
warning and take only minutes to cause destruction. It can be hard for the
family loosing their home but the idea of loosing a pet can be even harder.

On Sunday, June
23 at 7:48 p.m., Darlington Fire Department and Green County EMS-Darlington
were alerted to a house fire at 17054 Main Street in Calamine. The house became
fully engulfed so nearby departments of Belmont and Mineral Point were paged to
assist with additional water tankers.

Fortunately
everyone in the home was able to evacuate. Unfortunately, the family pet guinea
pigs were still in the home.

When the Darlington
Fire Department arrived on scene they immediately got two water hose lines off
of the first engine and began their initial attack from the porch on the west
side of the house. The bottom third of the home was completely on fire.

Gus the guinea pig is seen here on oxygen provided by the Green County EMS-Darlington. Photo from the Darlington Area EMS Auxiliary.

Darlington
firefighter and Police Officer Ben Conway stated that upon entering the home,
there was zero visibility throughout the whole house, with the fire right at
the front door.

“The guinea
pigs were in the house on the opposite end of the fire. The room was so smoke
filled and extremely hot. A window in the room had to be opened along with
ventilation done to even know they were in the room,” Conway recalled.

He was located
in a six-foot cage on the floor in the children’s bedroom. Conway saw the cage
on the floor and found a deceased guinea pig. He wanted to bring the animal to
the family so they could have some closure.

“I reached in
the cage to grab the first one and then I saw something move, which happened to
be Gus. As soon as I found him, he was removed from the house.”

Once both
Conway and his furry friend were safely out of the house, he tried to locate
the family but they had already left. The pet was given to the Green County
EMS-Darlington squad who assisted with helping Gus breathe, using a pediatric
breathing apparatus.

Firefighter Ben Conway carries Gus out of the home into the safe arms of EMS members.

Conway feels it
was a team effort done by all the depar

tments together, but praises the work
done by his own department.

“The reason for
the save is because of the Darlington Fire Department as a whole. We have a
great team and one of the best, if not the best chiefs in Ted McDermott, that
makes sure all firefighters are prepared for any situation, which would even
include saving someone’s pet as small as a guinea pig.”